A unique blog dedicated to covering the worlds of book publishing and the news media, revealing creative ideas, practical strategies, interesting stories, and provocative opinions. Along the way, discover savvy but entertaining insights on book marketing, public relations, branding, and advertising from a veteran of two decades in the industry of book publishing publicity and marketing.

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Monday, July 6, 2015

Catch Up On Post-Fireworks Book Publishing News

Ok,
the long July 4th weekend has fried your brains and you haven’t been
paying attention to the world/ But now it’s Monday and back to work – unless you
are still milking some vacation days! You might need to catch up on important book
publishing news but have little time to do so. Lucky from you I am happy to
digest what you need to know.

Grey, the next book in the 50 Shades of Grey series by EL James,
who has sold over 125 million copies of the mommy porn books, is No. 1 in the
country for two weeks in a row since its release. It will be there until the
July 14 release of Harper Lee’s 50-something year-old prequel, Go Set A Watchman. Those two will battle it out for the top spot.

The
number of book sold in the first half of 2015 increased from last year. Nielsen
Book Scan said .3% more books were sold in the same time period from a year ago.
Last year, compared to 2013, sales were up .6%. Nielsen believes it captures
about 75 of all sales that take place. It recorded 286,000,000 books were sold
from Jan 1 to June 30th this year. In terms of categories, board
books showed the biggest increase – 10% -- and Audiobooks declined the most –
by 17%. Hardcover was up a percent, trade paperback by 2%. Juvenile fiction, up
9%, was another hot genre to watch.

Apple
lost its appeal before a federal court regarding the antitrust lawsuit and
ebook pricing from a few years ago. This decision could cost Apple $400 million
in refunds to consumers. But it might be a good way for consumer to reengage
Apple if the refund is made by way of free or discounted ebooks.

Attendance
at Book Expo’s Book Con was a hit – up 80% from a year ago. Floor space
increased by 35%, but foot traffic outpaced that growth. Next year it will be
held in Chicago for the first time, along with BookExpo, the annual industry
trade show.

Mark
down on your calendars Indie Bookstore Day, set for April 30, 2016. The ABA,
along with the Northern California Independent Bookseller’s Association,
sponsor the annual celebration in praise of small non-chain bookstores. Their
survival is the key to the book industry.

Publishers
Weekly reported recently about Gatekeeper Press, a startup self-publisher that
allows authors to keep 100% of the royalty from sales. It is worth checking
into.

The
American Library Association has elected a new president – Julie Todaro. She
begins in 2016. Libraries, like the Indie bookstores, are vital to the book
industry.

Simon
& Schuster announced it is partnering with Foli, a mobile content delivery
service, to make free e-books available at 50 locations, including airports,
museums, and hotels. 19 titles are currently available.

If
you look at Smashwords’ self-published bestseller list, no book sells for more
than $5.99. Some were at 99 cents and many were selling for just $2.99. Remember
when people paid $25 for a hardcover book?

First
Book is working with Target, JetBlue, and KPMG to hand out 60,000 free books to
children in need. 10,000 copies of six different titles will be made available
by the Washington DC literacy nonprofit group. The books, containing characters
who are diverse and interacting under multicultural themes, will be made
available to economically disadvantaged children and will also go on sale to
175,000 educators and other programs under the First Book e-commerce
marketplace.

About Me

Brian Feinblum, the creator and author of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, is the chief marketing officer for the nation's largest book promotions firm, Media Connect (www.Media-Connect.com), formerly Planned Television Arts, and has been involved in book publicity and marketing since 1989. He has served several book publishing companies as a publicist, book editor, and acquisitions editor. Brian, who earned a BA in English from Brooklyn College, became a published author in 1995 when he penned The Florida Homeowner, Condo and Co-Op Handbook. He resides in Westchester, New York with his wife, two young children, and an English Bulldog.